Cyber crooks exploit coronavirus challenges faced by companies and workers

21% of UK workers feel more vulnerable to cybercrime since the outbreak of Covid-19, according to research from PwC.

The company surveyed 1,235 Brits during September.

Of the aforementioned 21%, 35% cited stress or fatigue and 17% working in isolation as a reason that they felt more vulnerable. 19% of those working from home during the pandemic did not feel that they had the necessary skills and training to keep safe from a cybercrime.

Daisy McCartney, Cyber Security Culture and Behaviour Lead, PwC, says: “Cyber criminals are above all opportunistic and we are seeing them use the fear, uncertainty and stress around Covid-19 to target their victims and play on their emotions.”

“As Covid-19 continues to dominate the news agenda, messaging related to vaccines, cures and financial relief will likely be used to target people.”

“Employers have a responsibility to equip their staff with the knowledge and skills they need during this difficult time. With many people not being physically located with their teams, while working from home, it is especially important for IT and cyber security teams to make security easy for staff, embed it in the ways they work, and provide them with as much support as they can.”

Respondents of the survey are also noticing more criminal activity during the coronavirus outbreak. When asked whether they had personally seen an increase in the likes of suspicious emails or malicious adverts and links, 32% of workers replied that they had.

In addition, 22% felt more vulnerable to a cyber attack when sharing personal details for contact tracing reasons with restaurants or other hospitality venues.

Chris Gaines, Lead Cyber Security Partner, PwC, comments: “It’s not all bad news, as technology is advancing all the time to combat cyber criminals. Our survey was conducted before the introduction of the government's new NHS Test and Trace app which will make contact tracing more secure and will hopefully allay some of the public’s fears.”